Songs of summer

The Top 10 songs of summer 2008 is a chance to look back at a season before it's gone. Arriving during Labor Day week, SheKnows always serves up the hotter season's best in song before the leaves begin to fall.

It is not simply global warming, but each passing summer is getting hotter musically. From rock to pop to dance to rap, the music spectrum has its hits represented in summer 2008.

Without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, the Top Ten Songs of Summer 2008.

10. Pocket Full of Sunshine by Natasha Bedingfield

First of all, is there a better name for a summer song? Just ask Katrina and her Waves, they're still Walking on Sunshine.

Natasha Bedingfield took the buzz generated by her theme song on The Hills and turned it into a career with Pocket Full of Sunshine. Bedingfield found a way to replicate The Hillstheme's sound without seeming repetitive and come up with one of summer 2008's best songs.

Bedingifield's voice is one that soars and Pocketful of Sunshine allows her to take her gift to heights only hinted at in previous hits such as Unwritten.

9. American Boy by Estelle featuring Kanye West

An appreciation of our country's men from a British singer with the most soulful voice to come out of the industry in years gets even better by bringing Kanye for the ride.

In a nutshell, that is American Boy by Estelle featuring Kanye West. West's addition was a stroke a genius for a song that was already brilliant. Any American Boy who has been abroad can appreciate this track for all it embodies. American Boy expresses the international fascination with American culture that has manifested itself in you the traveling American male.

Who can't appreciate Estelle's British sass coupled with Kanye's flow? American Boy, with the addition of the Gold Digger rapper allows a cross-continental musical masterpiece that finds itself epitomizing its lyrics. In this cast, Estelle's AB is Mr. West. He can be our ambassador of coolness anytime.

8. Mercy by Duffy

An Ear Candy if there ever was one, Duffy asked listeners for Mercy and that is exactly what she did not get.

In fact, audiences responded in droves to Duffy's song that combines old classic soul with her modern day above-the-melody voice.

Thanks, perhaps, to Amy Winehouse for busting down the door of the Dusty Springfield sound-a-likes, Duffy was greeted for an audience awaiting Winehouse's next track and found Mercyinstead while Winehouse works on her troubles.

Mercy is a hint of the type of music that will be dominating airwaves in the coming years. Duffy followed Winehouse, and now it begs the question: who will follow Duffy? The music industry is nothing if not known for replicating success.

Up next...Coldplay, Gaga, and the Ting Tings respectfully ask us to Shut Up